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The old men, women and children were interned at Tatura Internment Camp, Victoria. Families were broken
up when men over sixteen years of age were reclassified as prisoners of war. Some, including one of Murakami’s
sons, were for some time imprisoned in the maximum-security prisoner-of-war camp at Hay, New South Wales.
Captain Gregory left Darwin after the first Japanese raid. He died in Perth, Western Australia,
on 23 December 1942.
Murakami died at Tatura Camp on 26 June 1944; his friend Muramatsu also died in interment.
Theresa Murakami with her children and grandchildren were released from internment in 1947. Destitute and
unable to return to her home in Darwin she settled in Perth, Western Australia. She returned to Darwin in 1957
where she died on 25 April 1981. She is buried in the Darwin cemetery.
Yasukichi Murakami was later re-interred at the Japanese cemetery, Cowra, New South Wales. He was never
formally charged or convicted of any offence against Australia nor was any compensation given to his widow for
her loss of freedom and property. No official attempt was ever made to restore their honour.
Perhaps modern Darwin, with its ready acceptance and tolerance of people of all races owes something to the
example set by those Japanese pioneers of the Northern Territory.
M Bain, Full Fathom Five, 1982; D C S Sissons, Episodes, nd; AAO, CRS A 367-c 70167; AA, Darwin, CRJ F1, 41/438, 37/360, 38/540;
Australian Parents Office Records, NT State Reference Library, 1525/26, 1661/26, 9538/27; NT Register of Deaths, 155/51/11/1899; NTA,
Oral History Records, 1981/162, 1984/11, 1987/11; SAA, PRG 456/19; Letters to author from X Herbert, T Millner, T Prourt, DCS Sissons.
FAY KILGARIFF, Vol 1.MURRAY, RENNISON JAMES (RENN) (1944–1993), draftsman and community worker, was born on
23 August 1944 at Elsternwick, Victoria, son of Donald Buchanan Murray and Edythe Victoria Hope, nee Powell.
He was educated in Melbourne, served an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic and trained as a mechanical and
structural draftsman at night school.
He arrived in Darwin in January 1981 at a time when a considerable building programme was underway in
Darwin. He worked as a freelance draftsman on such projects as the naval patrol boat base, West Lane Carpark,
Highway House, Palmerston, Tracy Lodge extensions and the restoration of the Administrator’s office on the
Esplanade.
He married Tricia Ann Fourro, nee Wust, on 23 August 1985 at Christ Church Anglican Cathedral. They had
lived together at Stuart Park from the end of 1982. They met soon after Renn came to Darwin when both were
living at the Red Shield Hostel. Both were single parents; Renn rearing two sons and Trish three children and their
home quickly became a refuge for destitute people. From the time he arrived in Darwin Renn had been concerned
about the plight of the ‘drunks, the destitute, the long grass people’ and the reasons why many refused to accept
orthodox help. He established ANSTI—A New Start Towards Independence—in June 1982. It was founded on
the theory that people should be responsible for their own actions. As he put it, ‘If a youth decides to walk out
on a home environment simply because of a dislike for discipline or similar, they should not be encouraged to
exploit welfare and public sympathy... to help them... The last thing any society needs is a continuous supply
of newcomers learning how to exploit the system’. He continued drafting at night and during the day spent his
time talking to ‘his people’ trying to find out what they would accept as help in order to get their lives together.
With Tricia’s help, they would make sandwiches and walk through the gardens and along Mindil beach dispensing
conversation, first aid and food.
In 1983 Renn and Tricia moved to Trower Road, Jingili, to a house which became known as ‘ANSTI house’ in
order to provide better facilities for a ‘live-in opportunity centre’. At the same time, clinics for the homeless under
the auspices of ANSTI were held twice a week at Christ Church Cathedral. By then Renn had given up drafting so
he could help people on a full-time basis. But the routine was the same: mornings given to handing out sandwiches,
first aid and comfort and the rest of the day helping people living in ANSTI house. With only Tricia’s income
from the Sunrise Centre, they soon became short of funds. On 4 September 1984, ANSTI became incorporated so
government help could be sought. Although their early work was done on foot, about 1985 they put a ‘coffee bus’
on the road so that more people could be reached.
The value of their work was recognised by government and a 15-hectare block of land was granted to them at
Bees Creek; ANSTI Initiatives was born. Renn, with the help of long grass people, set about building huts for them
and other destitute people to live in while they got their lives sorted out. Rehabilitation and training schemes were
put into operation with the held of relevant professionals. The complex was opened on 6 December 1988.
In 1990, more funding was sought from Territory and federal sources and Edythe Lodge was built as a hostel
for Alcohol Related Brain Damaged people. As the Northern Territory’s first ‘dementia hostel’ its opening on
25 September 1991 was hailed as a ‘landmark’ and much praised by interstate experts. In terms of social welfare,
Renn Murray was something of a maverick, as he had no time for those who spent money without achieving
anything. As the Chief Minister, Marshall Perron, was later to say: ‘He was outspoken on his self-developed
theories on alcohol abuse and dependence generally, and this did not make him popular in the more orthodox
welfare circles but that was just fine with Renn Murray. He was far more interested in delivering practical care to a
long grasser than he was in being welcomed into the growing welfare establishment’. Renn Murray did not believe
there was any such thing as an alcoholic ‘only people who could not handle their liquor or the problems which
crop up in life’. As he put it, ‘People should be encouraged to develop their abilities, not to dwell on their failures’.
He never judged need by colour, race or creed—he only saw the need of the person.
Renn became a member of a number of ministerial advisory committees and in 1986; ANSTI won a Northern
Territory Peace Award ‘for services to the homeless in Darwin, particularly with rehabilitation of people with
alcohol-related problems’. In January 1994, Renn Murray was named 1993 Citizen of the Year but he had died